Lamp housing with grommeted lead-in holding means



Dec. 8, 1953 l. FlORl 2,662,110

LAMP HOUSING WITH GROMMETED LEAD-IN HOLDING, MEANS Y Filed Feb. 21, 1950 J0 T 71 l fif lgl 2 J3 III/I INVEN TOR. [2 5507 6 BY 7 547 m wdzmzuw Patented Dec. 8, 1953 SiTA'iES rA'rs'r FFICE LAMP HOUSKNG WITH GROMMETED LEAD-IN HOLDING MEANS Irving Fiori, Chicago, 111., assignor to Art Specialty (30., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Iilinois My invention relates to improvements in lamp construction and is particularly concerned with new and useful means for insuring that the lamp cord is maintained in desired position in the lamp cord housing or the like.

In heretofore known iamp constructions, such as floor lamps, table lamps, desk lamps, and the like, the eiectric cord, which comprises a pair of insulated wire conductors, leads from the lamp socket through a housing or the like to a plug which is adapted to be connected to a source of electric current. To prevent damage to the lamp, it is common practice to lock or fix the position of the electric cord in said housing in such a manner that it cannot be pulled out with a reasonable amount of force. To achieve this result, it is the usual practice to use cotter pins or similar fastening means. Another practice is to form a knot in the cord, the knot being disposed within the housing and the resulting enlargement preventing the cord from being pulled through the smaller aperture in the housing through which the cord passes to the outside of the lamp. These procedures have a number of disadvantages in relation to assembly problems, the requirement for meeting certain specifications, and the like.

In accordance with my invention, substantial improvements have been made in constructions having as their purpose the maintenance of the lamp cord in proper position so that it may not be pulled away therefrom. In general, lamp constructions made pursuant to my invention embody cooperating housing-forming members between which a pair of insulated wire conductors or, in other words, the electric cord is disposed and. wherein one of said housing-forming members has an aperture therein through which said insulated wire conductors pass to the outside of said housing. I provide means integral with the other of said housing-forming members whereby, when said cooperating housin -forming meibers are in assembled relation, said means grips the insulated wire conductors to prevent their being pulled out of position. The said means comprises a member upstanding from the interior surface of the second-mentioned housing-forming member and the upper edge of said upstanding member is cut back so as partially to encompass said insulated wire conductors. The housing may be substantially closed except for the aperture therein through which the electric cord passes to the outside or it may have a number of openings therein. So long as a plurality of cooperating members is utilized to form a space within which the electric cord is held 2 against withdrawal, said cooperating members may be regarded broadly as housing-forming members.

In general, the housing will comprise the base member of the lamp but it need not do so. Furthermore, in the usual case, the housing-forming member in which the lamp cord aperture appears will be the upper member, and the lower or base member will comprise that housing-forming member which provides the integral upstanding means which encompasses the electric cord and holds it in place, but, again, this need not be the case.

In the accompanying drawing, I have illustrated one, and a particularly preferred, embodiment of my invention. The particular outer configuration of the housing is of no significance and may be modified as desired. The novel teach ings of my invention will be clear in the light of the drawings and the description thereof which follows, and it will likewise be apparent how said teachings may readily be adapted to other constructions.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a housing, partially cut away, the cut-away part being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a section taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a part of the upper housing member showing the aperture through which the insuiated wire conductors pass to the outside;

Fig. 4 is a partial perspective view showing the construction of the lower housing member and the integral means upstanding therefrom which serves to lock or hold the insulated wire conductors in position;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a conventional type of insulated wire conductor with which my invention is particularly useful; and

Fig. 6 is a partial plan View, looking down- 1\gvardly on the interior of the lower housing mem- The numeral it indicates generally what I may call the electric cord housing, although it will be understood that such housing may support other lamp parts such as a transformer or the like. The housing Hi has a boss t 5 within which a lamb supporting arm, not shown, may be mounted but this forms no part of the present invention.

The housing iii comprises an upper housin forming member l2 and a lower housing-forming member or base it which, in assembled condition form a substantially enclosed space. The upper member 52 is shaped to provide angularly disposed sides M and 16 which converge to form a rounded apex ll. An integral flanged portion l3 extends around the bottom of the member l2 and is provided with a threaded aperture 19. The apex portion H has aperture 2| therein through which the electric cord 22 extends from the interior of the housing It) to the outside. The aperture 2| is advantageously defined by vertical sides 23, inwardly extending shoulders 24 at the top of the vertical sides, and by an arcuate convex portion 25 extending upwardly from said shoulders.

The lower housing-forming member or base 13 preferably is formed with an upwardly extending peripheral flange 2'! which fits closely inside the periphery of the bottom of the member l2. An aperture 28, which alines with the threaded aperture is when the members 12 and I3 are in assembled position, serves to receive a threaded bolt or the like to hold the members l2 and I3 together. Other apertures may be formed at spaced points through the base member 13 to receive threaded bolts extending into threaded posts integrally formed with the member 12 to assist in holding members 12 and 13 together, but such arrangements are strictly conventional and are not shown since they form no part of my invention.

Extending upwardly from the interior surface of the member l3, and integral or integrally formed therewith, is a generally channel-shaped upstanding member 3!] comprising opposite sloping side walls 3| and 32, said walls being of greater width at the bottom than at the top, a rear slightly curved front wall 33 spanning the side walls. The upper edge of the member is formed with a generally concave or arcuate configuration 34.

The foregoing construction is particularly advantageously utilized with that type of electric cord, best shown in Figs. 1 and 5, wherein the cord is provided with enlargements 36 and 31 defining an annular groove 38 therebetween.

It will accordingly be seen that, in assembling the members [2 and 13, the electric cord is first so arranged that the enlargements 36 and 31 are on opposite sides of the aperture 2| and the groove 38 is in the plane of the sides 23. When the member i3 is seated in position in the bottom of member l2, the portion 34 will enter the groove 38 and thus encompass the electric cord. The top corners 4| and 42 of the channel member as will fit beneath the shoulders 24, the channel sides 3! and 32 will fit along the vertical sides 23, and the arcuate convex portion 26 and concave portion 3 1 will aline with each other so that the cord aperture formed between them is substantially circular. In other words, the groove 38 will be encompassed by the portions 26 and 34 and the resulting generally circular aperture between them is materially smaller in diameter than the immediately adjacent portions of the enlargements 36 and 3?. The result is that it is almost impossible to pull the cord through the aperture without destroying or materially damaging the cord itself.

It is evident that, in the light of my invention, the electric cord is fixed in desired position in a very simpl manner and as a mere incident to the assembly of the housing-forming members. The necessity for using separate fastening means or knotting the electric cord is obviated and assembly time and expense are reduced while at the same time a neat construction is achieved which is highly effective to achieve the objects of my invention. The members l2 and I3 may be die castings or formed by stamping opera tions or in any other suitable manner.

Since the novel teachings described herein may take various forms, the scope of the invention is not to be limited except as is necessitated by the claims and the state of the art.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Lamp construction which includes cooperating housing-forming members between which a pair of insulated wire conductors is disposed. said conductors being provided with enlargements fixedly disposed thereon and with a narrow groove between said enlargements, one of said housing-forming members having an aperture therein through which said insulated wire conductors pass to the outside of said housing with the aforesaid narrow groove positioned within said housing but closely adjacent to said aperture, means integral with the other of said housing-forming members whereby, when said housing-forming members are in assembled relation, said means extends into the aforesaid narrow groove to prevent said insulated wire conductors being pulled out of position, said means comprising a generally channel-shaped member ex tending from the interior surface of said secondmentioned housing-forming member, the opposite side walls of said channel being of greater width at the bottom than at the top, and the upper edge of said upstandin member having a generally concave configuration whereby to extend into the aforesaid narrow groove so as par- :ially to encompass said insulated wire conducors.

2. Lamp construction which includes upper and lower housing members forming, in assembled relation, a generally closed housing within which a pair of insulated wire conductors is disposed, said conductors being provided with enlargements fixedly disposed thereon and with a narrow groove between said enlargements, the upper housing member having an aperture therein, the to part of which aperture has a generally convex configuration, through which aperture said insulated wire conductors pass to the outside of said housing with the aforesaid narrow groove positioned within said housing but closely adjacent to said aperture, means integral with the lower housing member whereby, when said housing members are in assembled relation to form the generally closed housing, said means extends into the aforesaid narrow groov to prevent said insulated wire conductors being pulled out of position, said means comprising a generally channel-shaped member upstanding from the interior surface of said lower housing member, the opposite side walls of said channel being of greater width at the bottom than at the top, and the upper edge of said upstanding member having a generally concave configuration, said construction being such that, in assembled relation, the aforesaid narrow groove is encompassed at the convex and concave portions of the upper housing member and the upstanding member, respectively.

3. Lamp construction which includes upper and lower housing members forming, in assembled relation, a generally closed housing within which a pair of insulated wire conductors is disposed, said conductors being provided with enlargements fixedly disposed thereon and with a narrow groove between said enlargements, the upper housing member having an aperture therein through which said insulated wire conductors pass to the outside of said housing with the aforesaid narrow groove positioned within said housing but closely adjacent to said aperture, means integral with the lower housing member whereby, when said housing members are in assembled relation to form the generally closed housing, said means extends into the aforesaid narrow groove to prevent said insulated wire conductors being pulled out of position, said means comprising a generally channel-shaped member upstanding from the interior surface of said lower housing member, the opposite side walls of said channel being of greater width at the bottom than at the top, and the upper edge of said upstanding member having a generally concave configuration whereby to extend into the aforesaid narrow groove so as partially to encompass said insulated wire conductors.

4. Lamp construction which includes upper and lower housing members forming, in assembled relation, a generally closed housing within which a pair of insulated wire conductors is disposed, said conductors being provided with enlargements fixedly disposed thereon and with a narrow groove between said enlargements, the upper housing member having an aperture therein through which said insulated wire conductors pass to the outside of said housing with the aforesaid narrow groove positioned within said housing but closely adjacent to said aperture, said aperture having vertical sides, inwardly extending shoulders at the top thereof, and an arcuate convex portion extending upwardly from said shoulders, means integral with the lower housing member whereby, when said housing members are in assembled relation to form the generally closed housing, said means extends into the aforesaid narrow groove to prevent said insulated wire conductors being pulled out of position, said means comprising a generally channel-shaped member upstanding from the interior surface of said lower housing member, the opposite side walls of said channel being of greater width at the bottom than at the top, and the upper edge of said upstanding member having a generally concave configuration whereby to extend into the aforesaid narrow groove so as partially to encompass said insulated wire conductors, the top corners of said channel member fitting beneath the aforesaid aperture shoulders and the channel sides fitting along the vertical sides of said aperture whereby the arcuate convex portion of said aperture and the concave upper edge portion of said upstanding member are in substantial alinement with each other.

IRVING FIORI.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,115,495 Mapelsden Apr. 26, 1938 2,148,872 Nicholas Feb. 28, 1939 2,171,331 Folsom Aug. 29, 1939 2,485,676 Thomas Oct. 25, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 57,841 Netherlands Jan. 16, 1946 

